The Senate Should Reject KOSA's Privacy Risks

The Senate Commerce Committee is weighing the Kids Online Safety Act—legislation designed to keep minors away from harmful content online. But per the Electronic Frontier Foundation, KOSA's approach creates serious privacy problems. The bill would require platforms to verify users' ages, which means collecting sensitive personal data like government IDs, facial scans, or bank records. The EFF warns those systems create massive databases vulnerable to breach and misuse. Even worse: facing potential liability, platforms would likely remove or block lawful speech to avoid legal trouble. That could cut off minors from valuable online support communities—forums for addiction recovery and mental health resources. The EFF is calling on the Senate to reject KOSA and instead pursue privacy protection that works for everyone, not just young people.

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